Sunday, April 8, 2018

Training your Pyr


Ralph
Barking

Pyrenees bark. If you’ve adopted from our rescue, it’s one of the traits we talk about in our adoption process. They are bred to guard, and take their job seriously. In fact, we frequently get Pyrenees surrendered into rescue for problem barking. It isn’t a lost cause, however, and with management and consistency it can be lessened, if not cured.  This is a behavior that requires a fair amount of effort on the human end of the leash! You are trying to change a behavior that is enjoyable and likely habitual for our dogs. As a human example, if you want me to change my morning coffee habit, which is both enjoyable and habitual, you would have to help me manage my behavior (take the coffee out of my house), give me an alternative (tea or a smoothie in the morning), and reward me for better decisions (set the money I save aside for a reward). It works the same way with our dogs.

Dogs bark for four main reasons. Start by deciding why your dog is barking and work from there. Remember that barking is a natural tendency for our dogs and we are working to help them modify a normal dog behavior.  It is also a behavior that is very satisfying for our dogs which makes it more difficult to change.


      Watchdog Barking - to alert that there is an intruder/change in the environment, and to let the intruder know they’ve been seen. Many people appreciate this alert barking from their dog, on a small scale. I want my dog to bark when someone approaches my door, but I don’t want her to bark every time someone walks by on the sidewalk. To address this, we want to be sure our dogs aren’t spending their time practicing the behavior when you’re not there to work on the training.
      Start with management. Try modifying the environment to help your dog be more successful. Don’t give them access to the window, yard, or area where they are watching, unless you are there to help monitor and train. Keep the curtains closed, or the dog crated/gated in a different room when you’re gone.  Don’t give them free access to the yard when you’re not home. In my house this meant moving the couch away from the front window so it didn’t become a perch from which to guard the neighborhood. If your dog gets to spend all day practicing barking, it’s not fair to be frustrated with them when you are home.
      teach a quiet cue. Say “quiet” or “that’s enough” once. If they stop immediately, reward them with a treat. If they continue barking, remove them from the situation for a quick time-out. (30 seconds to a minute) You will need to be really consistent. Don’t tell them the cue if you aren’t present to follow through. It’s not effective to yell  “quiet” from the porch while they’re barking in the yard, if you aren’t going to go and get them.

      Request Barking - seeking attention, food, to be let outside, let out of the crate…
      Ignore the barking and reward only when quiet. The rewards would initially have to come quickly when there’s a pause and build up to a longer quiet time. 
      Be prepared for an increase in barking initially (the extinction burst) because the dog is going to be frustrated that the request isn’t working anymore.
      Make sure to praise and pay attention to the dog when he’s quiet and doing what you want, not just when he’s barking for attention.


      Spooky Barking - the dog is afraid or uncomfortable.
      Slowly help the dog overcome his fear by helping him to associate treats/rewards with the presence of the scary noise or object.  (Every time the garbage truck shows up, treats fall from the sky).
      Try to avoid exposing the dog to the thing that is scaring him, unless you can work with him. The more he practices the barking behavior the worse it will get because he’s learned that the barking makes the feared thing go away, which is what he wants.
      This can be best prevented with a lot of socialization and exposure as a puppy. It’s more challenging to manage once the fear is established.

      Boredom Barking - barking excessively because they haven’t had their physical, social, mental needs met. This is probably some of the most common barking behavior we see.
      Increase physical exercise. Most dogs need two rounds of tongue hanging out level of exercise a day. A game of tug can be more tiring than a 3 mile walk!
       If they’re getting enough physical exercise, try increasing their mental exercise.  Have the dog work for their food using puzzle toys, learn tricks together, try a new training activity (manners, nose work)
      The dog might benefit from some play dates to burn off energy and increase social time. If the dog is being kept outside entirely or alone for long periods of time a dog walker or trip to daycare might help.

Another common barking behavior happens between dogs at a fence. This is frequently called barrier frustration. It might be frustration over being unable to get to the the other dog to play and be social, or to keep the other dog away from their territory. Either way, similar to watchdog barking, start with management. Don’t let your dog out at times you know the other dog is there. If you are going to have your dog in the yard, make sure you are with them to supervise. Have them drag a leash so they are more easily redirected. Consider planting a hedge against the fence as an additional barrier. For training, as soon as they notice the other dog, before there is a reaction, reward your dog for quiet behavior. If they head straight for the fence to start barking, immediately bring them inside for a short time out and start again. Try training a “leave it” cue, or train them to do something else when they get excited by the other dog - get a toy, run inside. It all comes with lots of rewards for appropriate behavior.
Natalie and Grace

One final note on barking and bark collars which are frequently sold in pet stores as a quick fix to the behavior. Pyrenees are  known to bark even with a bark collar on, sometime to the point of injury. Please find alternate ways to manage and train. If the barking is excessive, seek the help of a certified trainer to make everyone’s environment more enjoyable.

Natalie Wolf
Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Below are some videos of Pyrs barking if you would like to see different barking"styles".







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